THOUSANDS of Filipino Catholics gathered in various churches yesterday for masses for Pope Francis who died on Monday at the Vatican.
At the Manila Cathedral, over 2,000 individuals attended the special mass presided by Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula, and attended by Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown.
In Caloocan City, some 1,000 faithful, religious persons, and clergymen gathered at the San Roque Cathedral Parish to attend the special mass for the eternal repose of the soul of Pope Francis, presided by Cardinal Pablo David, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
David is set to fly to Rome to attend the pope’s funeral, set on Saturday, as well as participate in the papal conclave.
In an interview, David downplayed reports there are “top contenders” to the post left by Francis.
“There are no candidates in the conclave. There’s no such thing as the election as you know it. It is in the spirit of prayer that we will ask who does the Lord want to succeed Pope Francis,” he said.
“We carry a huge moral and spiritual obligation to enter into the conclave, not in the spirit of politics, but in the spirit of prayer,” he added.
David noted that even Francis did not seek the papacy when he was elected in March 2013.
“Nobody dreams to become the pope. We shouldn’t project this Church concept like that of our politics,” said David.
Reports about contenders and front-runners include Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle who was among several Filipino prelates appointed by Francis to key Vatican posts. Tagle is now pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization in the Roman Curia.
David, in a statement, asked Filipinos to pray for Francis’ soul and “commit ourselves to carrying forward his call.”
He called the late pope a “bridge builder” for the Roman Catholic Church.
“Pope Francis has now returned to the Father, but his legacy as a supreme pontiff —that is, as bridge-builder — will never be forgotten by the Church,” he said.
He also noted Francis’ love for those experiencing “pain, poverty, and exclusion.”
“He was a shepherd who walked with his people, often choosing the dusty road toward the peripheries rather than the comfort of the center,” said David.
It should be noted that Pope Francis was the one that designated David as a cardinal back in October 2024.
TRUE FATHER
The grief was palpable as worshippers filled churches to honor the pontiff, known affectionately in the Philippines as “Lolo Kiko,” or Grandpa Kiko.
One of the chapels inside the Manila Cathedral displayed a framed photo of the Argentine pope surrounded by flowers and candles, as prayers for his eternal repose and solemn hymns sung by the choir echoed through the church.
“Lolo Kiko was a true father to us,” said Advincula during the morning Mass at the cathedral.
Among those praying for the pope’s eternal repose was Ina Delos Reyes, 32, who had just seen Francis make a brief appearance in St. Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday.
“I didn’t think it would be the last time,” she said. “All the people there (Vatican) were fortunate enough to see him.”
The Philippines, home to more than 80 million Catholics, has long had a special connection with Francis, who visited the country in 2015, drawing a record crowd of up to seven million people at a historic Mass in the capital.
Francis’ journey included a visit to Tacloban, where he met with survivors of typhoon “Yolanda,” the deadliest storm in Philippine history.
Advincula described the 2015 visit of Francis as “a moment of grace forever etched in our memory.”
Archbishop Brown thanked Filipinos for praying for the Pontiff since he was hospitalized last February.
“In all the Masses that I have been celebrating all over the Philippines, especially in Manila, these past two months, I have been asking you to pray for him and you responded with great generosity and with great love for your Lolo Kiko,” said Brown.
“I want to thank all of you, the Filipino people, for the prayers for our Holy Father, especially these last two months,” he added.
Vice President Sara Duterte joined Filipino Catholics in mourning the death of Pope Francis, calling the pontiff the “shepherd who taught us to be compassionate, forgiving, and merciful in a world poisoned by social inequities, hate, greed, and wars.”
Senate President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada on Monday night filed a resolution expressing condolences and sympathies to the Vatican.
“His tenure marked by a sense of simplicity – the same practice when he was a young servant of God wherein he rode public transportation, lived in small dwellings, and prepared his own meals… He had a less formal approach to his position and continued to keep it lowkey by choosing to reside at a guest house rather than in the papal apartments,” Estrada said of the pope, in the resolution.
The Bangsamoro government stands in solidarity with the Catholics and Christian community at it said Francis was a “beacon of hope and a tireless advocate for peace, justice, and interfaith dialogue.”
The Armed Forces joined the nation and global community in mourning the death of Pope Francis, who the military said changed the Catholic Church, giving emphasis on humility, inclusivity and compassion.
“He led with a focus on social justice, advocating for the poor, the marginalized, and those in need,” the AFP said in a statement.THOUSANDS of Filipino Catholics gathered in various churches yesterday for masses for Pope Francis who died on Monday at the Vatican.
At the Manila Cathedral, over 2,000 individuals attended the special mass presided by Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula, and attended by Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown.
In Caloocan City, some 1,000 faithful, religious persons, and clergymen gathered at the San Roque Cathedral Parish to attend the special mass for the eternal repose of the soul of Pope Francis, presided by Cardinal Pablo David, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
David is set to fly to Rome to attend the pope’s funeral, set on Saturday, as well as participate in the papal conclave.
In an interview, David downplayed reports there are “top contenders” to the post left by Francis.
“There are no candidates in the conclave. There’s no such thing as the election as you know it. It is in the spirit of prayer that we will ask who does the Lord want to succeed Pope Francis,” he said.
“We carry a huge moral and spiritual obligation to enter into the conclave, not in the spirit of politics, but in the spirit of prayer,” he added.
David noted that even Francis did not seek the papacy when he was elected in March 2013.
“Nobody dreams to become the pope. We shouldn’t project this Church concept like that of our politics,” said David.
Reports about contenders and front-runners include Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle who was among several Filipino prelates appointed by Francis to key Vatican posts. Tagle is now pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization in the Roman Curia.
David, in a statement, asked Filipinos to pray for Francis’ soul and “commit ourselves to carrying forward his call.”
He called the late pope a “bridge builder” for the Roman Catholic Church.
“Pope Francis has now returned to the Father, but his legacy as a supreme pontiff —that is, as bridge-builder — will never be forgotten by the Church,” he said.
He also noted Francis’ love for those experiencing “pain, poverty, and exclusion.”
“He was a shepherd who walked with his people, often choosing the dusty road toward the peripheries rather than the comfort of the center,” said David.
It should be noted that Pope Francis was the one that designated David as a cardinal back in October 2024.
TRUE FATHER
The grief was palpable as worshippers filled churches to honor the pontiff, known affectionately in the Philippines as “Lolo Kiko,” or Grandpa Kiko.
One of the chapels inside the Manila Cathedral displayed a framed photo of the Argentine pope surrounded by flowers and candles, as prayers for his eternal repose and solemn hymns sung by the choir echoed through the church.
“Lolo Kiko was a true father to us,” said Advincula during the morning Mass at the cathedral.
Among those praying for the pope’s eternal repose was Ina Delos Reyes, 32, who had just seen Francis make a brief appearance in St. Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday.
“I didn’t think it would be the last time,” she said. “All the people there (Vatican) were fortunate enough to see him.”
The Philippines, home to more than 80 million Catholics, has long had a special connection with Francis, who visited the country in 2015, drawing a record crowd of up to seven million people at a historic Mass in the capital.
Francis’ journey included a visit to Tacloban, where he met with survivors of typhoon “Yolanda,” the deadliest storm in Philippine history.
Advincula described the 2015 visit of Francis as “a moment of grace forever etched in our memory.”
Archbishop Brown thanked Filipinos for praying for the Pontiff since he was hospitalized last February.
“In all the Masses that I have been celebrating all over the Philippines, especially in Manila, these past two months, I have been asking you to pray for him and you responded with great generosity and with great love for your Lolo Kiko,” said Brown.
“I want to thank all of you, the Filipino people, for the prayers for our Holy Father, especially these last two months,” he added.
Vice President Sara Duterte joined Filipino Catholics in mourning the death of Pope Francis, calling the pontiff the “shepherd who taught us to be compassionate, forgiving, and merciful in a world poisoned by social inequities, hate, greed, and wars.”
Senate President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada on Monday night filed a resolution expressing condolences and sympathies to the Vatican.
“His tenure marked by a sense of simplicity – the same practice when he was a young servant of God wherein he rode public transportation, lived in small dwellings, and prepared his own meals… He had a less formal approach to his position and continued to keep it lowkey by choosing to reside at a guest house rather than in the papal apartments,” Estrada said of the pope, in the resolution.
The Bangsamoro government stands in solidarity with the Catholics and Christian community at it said Francis was a “beacon of hope and a tireless advocate for peace, justice, and interfaith dialogue.”
The Armed Forces joined the nation and global community in mourning the death of Pope Francis, who the military said changed the Catholic Church, giving emphasis on humility, inclusivity and compassion.
“He led with a focus on social justice, advocating for the poor, the marginalized, and those in need,” the AFP said in a statement. – With Wendell Vigilia, Raymond Africa, Jocelyn Montemayor, Victor Reyes, and Reuters
